


Sam Kiszka's Birthday Bash 2020

by Luluthechoosingcrow



Category: Greta Van Fleet (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Angst, Birthday, Birthday Cake, Birthday Fluff, Birthday Party, Birthday Presents, First Kiss, Fluff, Happy Ending, Kissing, M/M, Partying, Requited Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-04-03
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:47:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23363437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Luluthechoosingcrow/pseuds/Luluthechoosingcrow
Summary: I wanted something sweet for Sammy's 21st, so here are some little snippets from the week leading up to his bday (all made up, of course, and Sanny-tinted as is my usual). Happy birthday, baby!!!A/N: I am SHOCKED I actually managed to get my ass in gear a month early (for the first time in the history of ever) but heyyy that's good on me! I hope y'all enjoy!1.  The Gifts - March 28th2. The Decorations - March 29th3. The Alcohol - March 30th4. The Food - March 31st5. The Cake (And A Prank) - April 1st6. The Outfit - April 2nd7. The Kiss - April 3rd
Relationships: Sam Kiszka/Danny Wagner
Comments: 11
Kudos: 20





	1. 1. 🎁 The Gifts - March 28th

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: This was supposed to be super sweet, fluffy, a little funny, short one shots and I already went and threw in some angst… oh well lol. I think y’all know I’m not a huge fan of heartbreak so it’s fairly obvious, I think, that it’ll eventually be resolved in some way. Anyways! Here is the first of seven installments for Sam’s birthday week, I hope y’all enjoy!

Was he a bad person for wanting gifts? Sam knew that he had pretty much everything he could want - and he was immensely grateful for it - but he liked to receive things, liked to know that people thought of him. 

Was that so awful? 

Fuck, it was his birthday! His twenty-first birthday! Sam decided that he could do what he wanted, and if he made it clear that he wanted a gift, then everyone was just gonna have to scrounge up ten dollars and go find one. 

Of course, he couldn't control exactly what he received, but he could try to insert some influence (at least enough to prevent what happened last year with the cats, hopefully). 

Phase one of the Get Awesome Gifts (GAG) plan was to drop some hints well in advance -- which he had done. Well in advance, nearly half a year out, in fact. Sam knew that Jake was getting fed up with how much he complained about his acoustic guitar’s wonky interpretation of pitch, so he figured that was one gift from one person taken care of. 

Phase two of GAG was to butter someone up. Sam was good at that, having had much practice wheedling and pushing to get his say in Jakey’s band in the early days, and Josh was extremely receptive to an open ear for his lectures, so. A few sessions of zoning out and debating cinematic techniques in turn, and Sam knew he had secured an awesome, thoughtful gift from his oldest brother. 

Phase three was the hardest part of GAG, and for good reason. How exactly does one ask for something that just isn’t asked for? Like, something that could possibly wreck the best friendship they had ever had in their entire lives and cast them into agony forever and ever? Sam just didn’t fucking know.

He had pondered writing a letter, but he scrapped that after about two seconds. A letter was way worse than just straight up asking for it. He could try to give hints, but how does one do that?

‘Hey, I want you to slam me against a wall and kiss me.’

Maybe it would be fine if he was lusting after some random girl in town -- they could flirt it up, hit it off, go back to her place for a fun night, maybe go on a few dates. If only. But no, this wasn’t just some chick that he was too chicken to ask out. 

This was Danny. 

His best friend, his brother in musical arms, his entire fucking world. The boy-become-man that had been at his side for nearly the last decade, always there with a kind smile and a big hug. Who shared everything with him. Who loved Sam for who he was. Who had also clearly expressed his love for women to Sam, because he was straight. 

Fuuucckkkkk

And Sam didn’t think he was not-straight for the longest time, and he still didn’t, really, but. But Danny was gorgeous and shy and wild and an absolute beast on the drums and his entire fucking world, okay?

Sam wanted Danny to kiss him on his birthday, because that would just be the best fucking present in the world. He wanted his life to be righted from the confusing non-straight direction it had veered off into, and he was pretty sure that Danny’s lips were the solution, so. 

So Sam wanted Danny to kiss the fucking daylights out of him, and then keep on going into the night (and maybe even the next morning) and he wanted it to happen by his twenty-first birthday because he really didn’t need to be confused and miserable on what was supposed to be a massive milestone. 

He knew that Danny would not, however, in a million fucking years, kiss him out of anything more than pity or a dare (and god which would be worse?)

Sam would just have to settle with thoughtful but ultimately meaningless gifts, and hope like hell that his brain would eventually get back on a more straight path that didn’t cause inopportune boners or heartsick sighs.

Likely. 

Very fucking likely. 

Right


	2. 2.🎈The Decorations - March 29th

There was glitter everywhere. On the couch, on the table, underneath the table, in a trail down the hall, on the apples in the fruit basket, raining down from the ceiling fan. It was even in Danny’s eyebrows, little flecks of sparkling whatever-the-fuck-glitter-is-made-of flashing as Danny furrowed them, a concentrated look on his face and a paintbrush in his hand. 

Sam leaned against the doorframe of the Wagner household’s dining room and smiled. Every person in their combined-family clan got the special treatment - a giant, lavish party - on their birthday, but it still filled him with a warm, special feeling to see his best friend hard at work in preparation for his celebration. Of course, since it was Sam’s twenty first, there was extra on top of extra being put in. Possibly hence the glitter? Maybe.

He walked over and stood behind Danny, one hand resting on his solid shoulder, and watched as the letters were slowly and carefully painted. The poster, when Danny finished it and sat back with a sigh, read: “HE’S 21, FOLKS!”

“Ah! I love it! But isn’t that going to get old, eventually?” Sam asked, referring to Danny’s favorite saying when it came to birthdays. 

“Nope! It’ll always be as old as you are!”

Sam snorted and looked down at Danny, who grinned back up at him. Dork. Sam gently threaded the fingers of his other hand through Danny’s loose hair, near his scalp; he scratched and rubbed, getting a cat-like purr for his actions. When Sam looked down at his hand - half covered in thick, dark hair - he saw that it was also covered in fine glitter.

“Dude, where did all the fucking glitter come from?”

Like, seriously. He was a man who loved glitter without shame -- but this was a little much, even for him.

Danny chuckled, patting Sam’s hand on his shoulder before gently shaking him off and standing up. Sam hid his hurt behind a well rehearsed mask of annoyance. 

“It’s a surprise! I can’t tell you, you’ll have to wait and see,” Danny informed him.

“Aww, really? But it’s just decorations! How special can they be?”

Sam realized immediately that he had hurt his best friend’s feelings -- Danny always made the decorations, and he took them very seriously. Sam knew that it was the one thing (well, one of the few) Danny thought he was good at, and that it made him feel useful in the party-setting-up process to be able to hang up all the things the Kiszkas couldn’t reach. He winced and redacted his words as quickly as possible. 

“That came out wrong, I’m sorry! I just mean, aren’t birthday surprises usually the presents, instead of, like, the balloons or the food or something? I’m picking that stuff out already. What’s so secret that you’re making, Daniel? C’mon, you tell me everything! We’re best friends.” 

Sam knew that Danny understood what he had been trying to say and had forgiven him, so he even took a chance and teased him. Danny’s bashful but giddy smile was more than worth it.

“I’m sorry, I really can’t tell you. But you’ll love it. I promise, okay?”

“Yeah, okay,” Sam sighed. 

Damn. He had hoped that would get him to spill. Was he a teeny tiny bit exploitive in pulling the - no matter how much it hurt to only say best friend - best friends card? Yes. But did it usually work? Yes… except for birthdays, he remembered; Danny took them very seriously.

But Sam also couldn’t help but smile and be alright whenever he was with Danny, especially when he looked as radiant as he did in that moment. The unicorn vomit of glitter and paint was actually a good look on him -- it brought out the swirling colors of his eyes and his bright demeanor, Sam thought. Nothing could suit his bestie better than some happy little sparkles.

“But I’ll let you pick out a special balloon, hmm? To tide you over. A big, shiny one that we can tie onto the roof of your car!”

Sam sighed again and shook his head. What a dork. He was so in love.


	3. 3. 🍹 The Alcohol - March 30th

“So, like… what are we gonna get?”

Josh snorted and shook his head. 

“What aren’t we gonna get? And stop acting so innocent, Sammy, you’ve been drinking with us since you were like fourteen.”

Sam shrugged and grinned, a little sheepish, and ran a hand through his hair. 

“Yeah, but, like - I don't know, actually. I have no fucking clue. I DO want everything!”

“Of course you do, it’s your official day to get drunk on everything you can possibly try! You’re so weird, Sam, now c’mon.”

They both laughed and walked to the back of the liquor store, passing by a gaping teenage girl with a smile and a wave. Josh started grabbing various liquor bottles off of the shelves and Sam nodded at each one; he was very, very excited to be able to legally drink. 

Of course, like Josh had said, he’d been doing it for years already, but now no one could scold him. At least, not with the threat of taking away his phone or something like -- actually, scratch that, Danny would and did take phones when things started getting crazy. He was such a mom (“a beautiful mom -- a MILF, if you would” his brain chimed in, but Sam ignored that with dedication)

“One hundred bottles of beer on the wall, one hundred bottles of beer…” Josh sang softly as they stared down the refrigerated aisle, deciding. 

“Ninety-four bottles of beer on the wall, ninety-four bottles of beer…” Sam continued for him after taking down a six-pack of Pilsner.

They walked along, gathering several other packs of German beers, ciders, ales, and anything that caught their alcoholic fancy. When they got to the end of the beer and ran into a freezer full of ice cream they both grinned and grabbed some of those, too, then made their way back to the main counter.

"Having a party, eh?" The man behind it asked, eyeing them over.

Josh pulled out his ID and nodded. "Yep! His twenty-first!" 

"Oh, really. Happy birthday, then… your total is $259.84." 

Sam looked at Josh with wide eyes.

"That much? But we haven't even gotten a-"

"Oh, and a keg! Pabst, please."

Sam shook his head as he watched the store-owner help Josh hoist a keg into the back of their mom’s hatchback. Nearly 16 gallons of beer. Amazing, but-

“Dude, are we actually gonna drink this much?”

Josh eyed his little brother, and Sam stared right back at him -- well, at his left eyebrow. There was a piece of lint caught in the wiry hairs.

“Of course! Seriously, what is up with you? You’ve been excited for this day for months.”

Sam shook his head and looked at the pavement. He was excited, of course, but there was also trepidation rolling in his stomach.

“Nothing. Nothing’s wrong I just-” don’t want to get so drunk I confess to Danny and ruin everything. “Don’t want to get sloppy drunk and have bad pictures taken of me.” 

Close enough.

“That’s never stopped you before,” Josh snorted, opening the car door and flopping in, Sam following him. “We’ve got plenty of funny pictures of you, Sammy, it’s just your face. Hey, the alcohol could make it even better!”

Sam flipped his oldest brother off and laughed, settling into the passenger seat and hugging a gallon of tequila to his chest. He didn’t know. Or maybe Josh did, and was just kind enough to ignore it -- but he wasn’t making any ‘wiggled-brow’ comments and for that Sam was grateful. 

Jake, on the other hand… Sam was not looking forward to shopping with him tomorrow. Always one to cut straight to the point in the not-nicest way, that one. He could only hope that the younger twin would be just as oblivious - or at least quiet - and let him live in his bubble of silent longing. 

Yeah, right. Jake was such meddling a shithead.


	4. 4. 🍕The Food - March 31st

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realize the events taking place here and going on are incongruent with the current climate of the world but… I’m ignoring that. Just this one story. They’re gonna go out, have that huge party, and everything is gonna be fine, even if Sam’s actual birthday this year ends up being small (not like we’ll know til later anyways). So, please continue on with this like things are going on in a ‘normal’ universe and I shall do the same! 
> 
> Also, this one is almost kinda angsty, but in that way all the others are so it’s really not that bad. We’ll be fine.

Sam gunned the engine and honked his horn, the universal ‘get your ass out of the house and in the car’ signal. Jake did come walking out half a minute later, scowling and juggling coat, keys, phone, wallet, and some reusable shopping bags.

“Dude, that was not necessary. I told you I was coming out.”

“Oh yeah?” Sam raised his eyebrow and pulled out of their driveway, heading for Costco. “Well maybe I forgot. More importantly, who’s the lucky man?”

“Fuck you, you know that’s not what I meant. And I should be asking you that!”

Sam scoffed and rolled his eyes. Jake could be so aggravating sometimes.

“What are you talking about? I don’t like guys.”

“Yeah right! Don’t lie to me, Sammy. You and Wagner are so obvious it’s not even funny. When are you gonna come out, hmm?”

Jake wasn’t looking at Sam when he was speaking -- he was turned around, shoving the shopping bags into Sam’s backseat. If he had been, he would have seen his brother’s eyes go wide and his face pale. 

He knew that he was almost obvious, sometimes, but he didn’t appreciate being called out -- and there was certainly nothing to come out about. Jake, of course, steamrolled right over that with his quest for knowledge on other’s lives, flattening any chance of Sam being able to get over this in peace. Like he had said, “meddling little shithead.”

As it were, Sam tightened his grip on the steering wheel and gulped, stealing his voice and calming his face once his brother turned around.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Jake fixed him with a wholly unimpressed look. 

“I repeat: don’t lie to me, Sammy. Look, I’m not gonna make fun of you, okay?” He softened, changing tactics quickly. “You love him so much I can’t help but notice it. Don’t you want help with it?”

Sam slumped back into the driver’s seat, mind clouded on the subject that had been haunting him for years. He kept driving on autopilot, but his thoughts were on his annoying brother, his beautiful best friend, and the hopelessness of his infatuation with said friend (the brother could go sit in the backseat)

“What would you even be able to do about it?” he finally muttered some time later, checking the mirrors in an excuse to not look at Jake. 

“Well, I’d tell you to get your head out of your ass as a first move. He loves you back, you idiot!”

Sam turned and glared at Jacob. That fucking asshole; this wasn’t a time for jokes, though of course he wouldn’t get that. 

He narrowly missed the turn into the Costco parking lot, making Jake cluck his tongue at him and scowl right back. 

They were silent and tense for a minute as Sam prowled the parking lot for a free space. Luckily, there weren’t tons of people out and about on a Tuesday morning. 

Once they were parked, Jake turned and grabbed Sam rather roughly by the jaw, forcing them to look eye into eye. He softened his physical grip once he had Sam in place, but Jake’s eyes were steadfast and intense

“I’m being serious. He loves you so much I swear it pours out of his ears sometimes. Maybe you can’t see it - you’re insecure, or you think he’s straight, or whatever - but I’m telling you. Danny loves you back.”

Sam refused to say anything. He sat back in his chair, rubbing at his jaw where Jake pinched it and staring out the windshield to some unseen billboard of directions on where to go from there. Which, of course, didn’t actually exist.

“I love you. You know that, right? I mean, obviously not how Danny does, but…” Jake trailed off, faltering. He found his meaning again,”but I love you. I’m not trying to make you hurt more, or play a prank or something. I want you to be happy.”

Sam still didn’t say anything, though he thought that - maybe - Jake was actually trying to help in his own way. They both sat in silence, the squeaking wheels of a cart being rolled past joining with the wind blowing at the sides of the car to make an awkward, mundane - and yet completely comforting - bubble of white noise. 

“I know you’re not being mean,” Sam finally spoke. 

“He really does love you,” Jake repeated his assertion, just as quiet.

Sam sighed. They both watched a young couple walk past; two girls in their early twenties, matching in ripped jeans and blushing smiles, holding hands. 

“Maybe he does.”

Jake turned to look back at his brother. They shared a small smile, the fight forgotten even quicker than it started, and got out of the car, grabbing a cart and bags in a silently rehearsed routine. Sam clicked the keys and Jake flew past on a shopping cart, making his little brother run after him. 

They laughed freely now, whatever Sam’s problems were being left in the car for the moment. Though, Sam was different that trip; a little quieter, kinder to his brother sometimes then snapping in an instant, often lost in his mind in the middle of an aisle. Jake handled it all with surprising patience and continued steering them towards the bakery section.

“You’re sure-” Sam asked suddenly, interrupting their debate on cheesy-rolls versus pesto-cheesy-rolls.

“Absolutely,” Jake cut him off. “That boy loves you like no one else in the world, it’s crazy. And I know you love him back.”

“I do,” Sam sighed.

It felt nice to be open about it to someone, even if it was Jake (he had promised he wouldn’t tease - yeah right, Sam was giving it a week). He still wasn’t sure if he should make a move or wait for Danny, but- but he was happy. Actually satisfied, really; Sam felt settled and at ease in a way he hadn’t for some time, love requited or un-. Maybe talking about it had done him some good.

They decided on plain old cheesy-rolls, the last item on their list of party food, and pushed the heavy cart towards the checkout -- of course, grabbing two whole Costco pizzas on the way out to feed the clan for dinner that night.

Sam arranged the contents of the trunk while Jake returned the car. Appetizers - cheesy rolls, veggie trays, chicken wings - on the left; drinks - soda, juice, water - on the backseat floor; grill stuff - steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs, the buns, cheese, condiments - piled on the right, and all the other random stuff that had sounded good in the middle. His brother shook his head when he saw what he thought was Sam’s pointless organization.

Jake didn’t mention anything about love - Danny, girls, or otherwise - the whole drive home and into the kitchen. Sam was lulled into a false sense of security by the silence, and distracted by the smell of the pizzas on his lap. Why was he always stuck holding things in his own car? How did Jake even convince Sam to let him drive? 

“JOSHIE! He finally admitted it! Go find every rainbow article of clothing you have ever owned.” 

Oh for fucks sake, it had been three hours. And they had been working together. Figures.

“Fuck you, Jake. Backstabbing bitch.”

“Oh, nuh uh you don’t talk to me like that -- and I know you’d much rather fuck Danny.”

“AGH!”


	5. 5. 🍰The Cake (And A Prank) - April 1st

"I. Want. Chocolate." Sam insisted for what had to be the sixteenth time, though, still, no one was listening. 

He ran his hands through his hair, tugging at a small tangle with a snarl -- Sam almost yanked the whole strand out, not having enough patience to deal with anything else that day, but he realized it would hurt. A lot. He took a deep breath and stilled his hands, closing his eyes and counting to five like his mom always told him to. 

Sam was still sore from the merciless teasing and physical jabs - if all good natured, nothing nasty - he had received the other day, and he missed Danny. Usually, his best friend was there to help keep things (the twins) under control, or their family was, but everyone else was out getting things ready, working, and/or running errands. He would have to handle this on his own, and they were unlucky for it; Sam was quick, decisive, and took no shit when he was cranky.

When he opened his eyes, his older brothers were still arguing over a mixing bowl on their counter, Josh waving around a box of Oreo cake mix and Jake one of lemon. Their heads were inches apart and they were glaring at each other intensely, hands flying fast but mouths ever faster. Sam was afraid that all their flailing would make the boxes collide, and then they'd have an explosion of powdered food to clean up. Not fun. 

"Hey. Hey! Cut it out, give those to me!" 

He wrestled the boxes from them, holding both up to compare. Jake poked his head above the lemon flavor box, so Josh did the same for the Oreo; both grinning like car salesmen and trying to convince him which was best. 

"See, see, lemon is so good! It's sweet and it's sour, and it looks so pretty, like a- a yellow butterfly or somethin'." 

Sam was not impressed. 

"You're high." 

"Yeah, so? Lemon is still better," Jake grinned at him. 

Sam shook his head, exasperation somewhat fond settling over him. These two, these two fucking idiots had been making his life so much more difficult since the day he was born -- but he loved them, weed-high smiles, eccentricities, and all. 

"No, thanks for the suggestion, though. I. Want. Chocolate! And full on chocolate, not Oreo." He stopped Josh with a pointed look, fully anticipating the renewed argument. 

"Fine - though you have questionable taste - we can make chocolate." 

"No, you'll do something weir-" 

"C'mon, Sammy, we always make the birthday cake!"

"I really don't think so, not this time..."

Josh pouted. "But Danny let us make his cake!" 

"Yeah, cause no bakery was crazy enough to put peeps, nerds, M&M's, AND vanilla vodka into a cake. What on earth are you going to do to mine?!"

"We only did that because he begged us," Josh informed him, Jake nodding sagely in agreement. "We had no choice. We'll make you the best chocolate cake, c'mon!" 

He still didn't understand why Danny had requested that. Like, he knew about his buddy's insane love of sweets, but seriously? That cake was just too much, and only the twins were crazy enough to make it. Of course, he would never tell anyone how good it had been once he'd actually tried a slice, but. Still. No compromises this year; it was one of the "big ones" and Sam wanted it to count. 

"Only - only - if you make it exactly to my specifications, and nothing funny in it." 

His brothers nodded again, both looking at him with matching expressions of blazed earnesty. Sam sighed. He really had meant to put his foot down and go to a bakery for once - god knew they could afford a fifty dollar cake now, for sure - but he just couldn't say no to this little tradition. It would feel like taking toys from kittens or something, plus the twins were completely capable of ignoring him for weeks on end if they were really pissed off (and, they had some certain blackmail material on him now….)

"I want Devil's Food with mini chocolate chips in it, fudge frosting, and strawberries on top. Don't fuck it up." 

Sam turned and left the kitchen before they could interject with more helpful ideas (read: convince him to let them do what they wanted) and went to go take a nap. He had been so tired lately, constantly sleeping early and sleeping in, even later than Jake. Maybe he was getting older, finally entering into that stage of adulthood that seemed to make his family members of older generations endlessly tired. He hoped not. 

Pulling the blanket all the way up to his neck, and keeping an eye on the doorway to the room they still shared at home, Sam settled down for a few hours of sleep. He was disillusioned enough to know he wouldn't be left alone indefinitely; but, he could at least protect himself from waking up to an awful prank. Hopefully. 

\-------------

When Sam woke up, he kept his eyes closed and his breathing even. He wiggled each of his appendages, starting with the toes on his feet and working all the way up to trying - and failing, as he always had - to wiggle his ears. Everything seemed to be in proper order and not covered in shaving cream or the like, and he couldn't hear any smothered giggles, so he slowly opened his eyes. 

Looking around, Sam ascertained that he was alone in their room. But it didn't assuage his fears of prankage. It was April 1st, after all, and two days before his birthday -- he had never not been pranked on this day of the year. 

He climbed out of bed and walked to the bathroom down the hall, keeping his ears open for twin footsteps and his eyes on every dark corner and doorway. Sam made it to the bathroom safely and locked the door behind himself; he checked behind the shower curtain and inspected his tooth brush, but all seemed to be in order. And the toothpaste was definitely toothpaste.

Sam shrugged and proceeded to scrub the lingering taste of their lunchtime sandwiches out of his mouth. He brushed his hair and freshened up without worry, figuring that maybe, just maybe, the twins had been too occupied with the cake to do anything this year. 

Wrong. 

Cream cheese. 

Where his deodorant was supposed to be. 

Goddamnit.


	6. 6. 👑 The Outfit - April 2nd (okay fine the morning of April 3rd but whatever)

Sam giggled to himself, shimmying his ass at the closet door-slash-mirror as he danced around the room. He spun in time to the music, letting the transparent kimono-type wrap around his shoulders flutter outwards, and plucked a soft tee shirt from the pile of clothes on his bed.

He held it up against his torso, trying to decide if it was the right look. It wasn't. Sam went back and grabbed a different tee shirt as well as a silky button up, prancing back and forth across the wooden floors and singing all the way.

Well, shake it up, baby, now 

(shake it up baby)

Twist and shout

(twist and shout)

The other tee didn't work either and Sam turned his nose up. But, the silk shirt was a perfect match for the outfit he had been envisioning in his head so he shed his wrap and slipped the new garment on, buttoning it up from the bottom only halfway. Downstairs, Josh called up a twenty minute warning to him and Sam yelled back an affirmative, immediately picking back up the song afterwards.

Come on, come on, come on, baby, now

(come on, baby)

Come on and work it on out

(ooh, work it on out)

Sam crooned along with John, Paul, George, and Ringo as he got dressed, paying careful attention to accent each and every one of his assets he could -- including his ass. He laughed again, really more of a private snort, and craned his neck over his shoulder to take a good look at his backside.

He knew he didn't have a large ass by any means, certainly nowhere near as shaped as either of his brothers, but it was nice. Small and cute. Perky, one might even call it, if one was a very bold and very drunk girl at a backstage party. Or, "a perfect handful" as Danny had once told him -- jokingly, of course.

It hadn't mattered to Sam's heart at the time that Danny was clearly messing around, since it jumped up to his throat; he'd spent the rest of the day bending over as much as he plausibly could, glancing over to see if Danny had any real interest at all. Sam thought he saw him looking a time or two, but it was hard to tell since there were a lot of other people around that Danny could of been trying to eye-fuck. Still, he wore his tightest leathers today - just to be certain that his backside would be on well oiled display - in case his bestie decided to finally take notice.

If he was being honest with himself, Sam knew that he was being an almost ridiculous level of desperte, but he was just. So done trying to play it cool when inside he was aching and yearning to be taken into his best friend's arms and kissed like it was the end of the world. He wanted Danny so bad it physically hurt, sometimes, like a socket wrench being driven straight into his gut.

Of course, if someone else actually asked him why he was taking such care getting ready, Sam would just reply that he wanted to look perfect for his party. He was a prince(ss), and he had no shame in showing it. 

Another time warning, this time from Jake poking his head into the door to tell him he had ten minutes until the party started, helped pull Sam back to the matter at hand. He tied his shoes and arranged his hair, replaying the song one last time to settle the few nerves that had made themselves present with all the thoughts of Danny. 

Well, work it on out, honey

(work it on out)

You know you look so good

(you look so good)

You know you got me goin' now

(Got me goin')

Just like I know you would

(like I knew you would)

Sam hoped that he could get Danny going tonight, that it would be enough. 

This was his last chance. 

(Okay, no, he had like the rest of his life but after such a week he wanted to be a bit dramatic)


	7. 7. 💋The Kiss - April 3rd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Here it is! The last installment…. *sheds a tear* No, I had fun and I’m happy I did this! And for all the lovely comments and attention it’s received; I write for myself but it gives me so much joy to see others engaging with my stuff. I’m glad that everyone has liked it. Alright, now onto the party!!!  
> Warning: some angst, then some kissy kissy kissin, and the usual amount of swearing

There was a fuck ton of food barbecued to perfection, as well as platters of other appetizers and snacks. There were coolers and a bar and a keg already half drained of beer. There was a large, chocolatey cake covered in strawberries, and big plates of cupcakes too. Food, dancing, decorations, presents, good music, friends and family.

Which is good cause Sam had purchased half of it and specifically asked for the other.

He looked around and grinned widely. He had eaten a delicious meal (or three), drank tons of alcohol, cut his favorite kind of cake (that actually got baked to his specifications thank god), and received two whole tables of shiny presents. Sam was having a great fucking time!

He sipped on whatever cocktail it was that Ronnie had handed him and stepped around three of his little cousins playing a card game on the floor. They grinned up at him and he smiled back, plucking a carrot stick from a plate and running away when Janey shrieked at him. 

“Come back here you thief!”

“Nuh uh! It’s my birthday, Janey-poo. I can do what I want!” Sam yelled back at the little girl, who stuck her tongue out at him.

Right as he was about to get away scot free with his stolen loot, Sam bumped into a solid chest that immediately pressed against him. 

“Is that so, hmm?” 

A tequila-scented breath tickled the hair around his ear and Sam shivered. The voice, however, made him feel warm and sated, like he had just made love on a perfectly tempered Hawaiian beach. Two strong arms came around his torso and grabbed onto him, turning Sam around to face the owner of the voice. 

Danny.

“Are you causing trouble?” 

Sam blushed and automatically steadied himself with a hand on Danny’s shoulder. He was really warm and swayed into Sam’s touch -- apparently they were both quite tipsy already.

“Nah, I’m not. What’s up, doc? Want a carrot?”

Danny raised his eyebrow at Sam and eyed the vegetable in his hand suspiciously. He leaned forward and nuzzled his nose into the hair at his temples and Sam stiffened, surprised. What was Danny doing? Not that he didn’t like it - and not that they weren’t occasionally very close, especially when high - but this wasn’t exactly normal. 

“You should give that back to Jane,” Danny whispered into his ear, and Sam could feel a hint of tongue on the rigid cartilage. 

Sam gasped and clutched Danny tighter, turning his head so that he could have better access. Danny was licking the shell of his ear, humming low from his throat while he did it. His hands clutched tightly at Sam’s waist, and Sam was like twenty degrees past his boiling point by now. This was amazing.

“Fuck, Sammy, I hav-”

“I really don’t want it anymore.”

Wait, what?

Danny pulled away from him so swiftly that Sam could barely comprehend it. One moment he had been enjoying a surprising but completely welcome.... well, something (was an ear job a thing? Cause that was sexual as fuck) then Danny was standing back and blushing like he just realized what he had been doing. 

Sam blinked the fog from his head and glanced around -- who had said that? Why was Danny acting like this, and why had he stopped?

Janey was looking up at them with the type of sassy, knowing expression that only a nine-year-old girl and Josh could pull off. She smirked - and it was really unsettling to see a child, much less his sweet little cousin, do that - and then tapped Sam on the back. 

“Um. Yes?”

She looked at him like he was stupid, and Sam kind of felt like it. What had she seen? Was she going to tell his mom like he was the little kid being naughty when Danny had been doing -- what would he have done if they continued? 

Danny was still holding him in his arms, but he was silent and Sam could practically feel the regret washing off of him. He started to panic as scenes of distant, awkward interactions for the rest of their lives played out before him.

Janey was still standing there, now tapping her foot with crossed arms. Sam’s other two cousins had wandered over at some point and were standing behind her, looking up at him and Danny with indecipherable expressions -- but Janey was clearly the leader. 

“Uh, Janey? Do you need something?” Danny asked, and he looked extremely uncomfortable; big eyes pleading with her for mercy, which Sam found extremely worrying.

She rolled her eyes and flipped a wrist. “You’re blocking the food table. AND Sam stole my carrot. I’m hungry.”

“Oh, right- uhh, sorry.”

Sam moved aside and pulled Danny with him, watched the three children file by and fill their plates with all sorts of sugar he knew they weren’t supposed to have. He couldn’t actually feel it, but he knew his face was flushing red from embarrassment and confusion. 

Danny cleared his throat next to him and Sam glanced over. He realized that he was still gripping his best friend tightly by the shoulder and he let go, patting him awkwardly on the arm before ceasing all contact. They parted ways with a weird combination of soft, familiar smiles and avoided eye contact then Sam was left standing in the corner with a cocktail glass in one hand and the fucking carrot in the other.

God. What was happening? 

\------

Sam sat at a folding table and picked at his third slice of cake. Josh was next to him, talking about… something, maybe- probably films, and Sam was easily ignoring him like he usually did. GAG was done so there was no need to respond to the quips and questions geared to start a debate. 

Josh slowly trailed off and Sam looked up at the silence after a minute, curious. He found his brother staring right back at him with a very constipated expression -- Sam had the brief thought that Josh was trying to work through all that cheesy-bread he’d eaten and maybe he could, like, not do that at the table? Please? But then Josh spoke and things started clicking into a place oft visited in the past few days.

“You’re upset about something. Danny. What happened?”

Oh lord not again. Sam was glad for the support-slash-teasing, but he was just so done answering all the questions the twins kept firing at him. He didn’t know what was happening, okay?! Danny had never shown any interest in him, or any other men for that matter, and that weird little thing earlier was probably just because of the alcohol. Danny didn’t love him back. They had to stop trying to convince him otherwise. 

Sam told Josh exactly that, with much conviction, and it was a very bittersweet feeling to watch the emotion slideshow his face went through. Patience, confusion, exasperation, confusion again, anger, curiosity. He was like a carousel of carnival masks. 

“You’re such an idiot.”

And now Jake was here. Yay.

His second-oldest brother continued. “A gay, oblivious, completely and utterly stupid idiot. So is Danny, but-”

“No more buts! I am finished with this conversation, and I want you to leave me alone tonight. I’m trying to have a good time here.”

“Cause that’s going well,” Josh snorted and Sam glared at him.

Couldn’t they just let him wallow in his murky confusion?! What was that saying -- it’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to? Well, Sam wasn’t going to cry in front of his guests, but he could feel it building behind his eyes and he knew that the waterworks would be coming that night when he was finally alone. 

And suddenly, Sam was angry at Danny, too. How dare he? He had to know how Sam felt, and he had teased him like that. Held him close, whispered in his ear, licked him -- and then broke away like he was ashamed and shocked to even be near Sam. 

He was actually going to cry now. It was coming, and Sam was leaving with a flurry of long, skinny legs, cries behind him of “Wait, Sammy! Your surprise! You can’t leave!” 

But he could, and he was going to. 

There was a large oak tree that he used to climb when he was a kid and needed to get away from everything. Sam ran to it now, pulling himself up on memory-imprinted knotholes while his vision clouded with salty tears. The tree was his and Danny’s favorite spot when they were younger -- after they had finished their snacks and homework, both boys would race each other to the top and look out at the land before them. 

It sort of hurt, to be in this spot where good memories with his best friend hung from every branch like ornaments, but it was also comforting. 

Sam let himself be hugged into the wooden arms of the oak as he silently cried, surrounded by thoughts of love and realities of desolation. He was a mess. His eyes stung and his head was tipsy from all the drinks and he’d eaten too much food and he just wanted to go home now and he couldn’t fucking stop crying, dammnit.

How had this happened? It had hurt, but Sam had been fine with just being friends; laughing close and longing from afar. Now he was confused and in pain. How could he go on with this one taste of what could have been? 

He thought of all that had happened this week. All the preparations, the anticipation, his cycling feelings of hope and sadness. He was so tired. 

\------

Sam woke up in a fucking tree. What the hell? How did he get up here? Why was he up here? How on Earth did he not fall out while he had, apparently, been asleep?

He carefully steadied himself against the trunk with one hand and rubbed his eyes with the other. What day - well, night now, actually - was it? Why did his head hurt so much?

There was a shuffling below him, and Sam looked down to see Danny staring up at him with his big, sad puppy dog eyes. 

That was good. Even if he was in a tree and he didn’t know where the tree was or what day it was, Sam could count on Danny to be there for him. As in, supporting him by the hips while he shakily climbed down.

“I’m so sorry, Sammy. I just got so excited that I kind of forgot to give you your present first and Josh said that you wouldn’t mind but you clearly do, and-”

Danny stopped talking - babbling really, since he was clearly nervous - when he realized the utter confusion on Sam’s face. 

Sam was very confused indeed. What the hell was Danny talking about? He was getting some half-baked memories back from his brain that told him something had recently gone down. Something big. But he was having trouble piecing it all together and the very apprehensive looks from his best friend weren’t really making him eager to remember. 

“Oh my god, did I confess to you?”

The thought suddenly flew into his brain and out of his mouth in a woosh of air that felt a lot like horror movie chills. Oh god, what had he done?

“What? No, Sammy, I- or, I was going to… Wait, did you hit your head? You’re acting really weird. Do you not remember?”

Maybe he had. Sam sat down against the tree trunk, pulling a concerned Danny with him, and forced a thought process.

Where was he? At the base of his favorite oak tree on the edge of their property. What day was it? It was his birthday, actually, or maybe very early the morning after. Who was he with? Danny - which seemed obvious - but Sam was starting to worry that he did actually hit his head; it usually didn’t take this long for his brain to get back online after a nap. 

Why had he been in the tree, and what was Danny apologizing for? Now that was the ticket question. 

Oh. 

Oh.

FUCK.

This was not an ideal situation. He had been having a good time at his party, then Danny had gone and metaphorically hung him by his ankles, probably not on purpose, THEN Sam had moped about and stormed off - like a toddler - when the twins tried to help him figure it out. And then he took a nap in a tree. And now Danny was holding him and probably feeling really bad about what happened because he looked like he was about to cry way more than Sam had earlier. 

“Fucking hell.”

“Um, yeah,” Danny agreed with a small, nervous laugh. 

Sam looked at him and sighed, then rested his head on Danny’s shoulder. Why had he been mad at him? Danny was clearly drunk and had no clue about his crush -- he refused to believe he was as obvious as the twins insisted. He was just worried about why Sam was sleeping in a tree when he should have been enjoying his twenty-first birthday, and this had nothing to do with what had happened. Duh.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. I just needed some time alone, and I guess I fell asleep. Is the party still going?” Sam asked, trying to smile and put on a fresh face.

Danny still looked hesitant.

“It is, but a lot of people left too. It’s late, dude. Midnight. You sure you’re okay? Josh said that you were really upset, and I-”

Sam laid his hand over Danny’s and he stopped talking again, looking up at him. 

He was so goddamn beautiful, and Sam was totally getting lost in his eyes like a cheesy romance novel. So gorgeous. All swirling hazel and green with little flecks of brown and reflections of distant party lights. 

Danny blushed high on his cheekbones and stared right back at Sam. He moved in closer and cupped his face in his hand. 

Sam barely even noticed it; he was too busy watching the pretty face before him that was slowly moving closer-

Oh. Holy. Shit!

Danny was kissing him. Danny was kissing him. Danny was kissing him. DANNY WAS KISSING HIM?!

Sam squealed - and he didn’t even care - and kissed back. His enthusiasm seemed to push Danny back a bit in surprise, but Sam’s mouth followed. He didn’t care if he was making noises like a guinea pig, or if his ass was cold and wet from the night dew-covered grass, or even if this was some weird concussion dream. Danny was kissing him!

Their tongues met and Sam melted even more into the warm, solid body next to him. His hands reached for Danny’s hair and one of his knees swung onto his best friend’s lap as big hands clutched at his cheeks.

It was everything he had thought it would be and so much more.

Danny pulled his mouth away after a minute and rested their foreheads against each other, panting. He gave one more quick peck and then pulled back to look at Sam with shiny, love filled eyes. 

“Happy birthday,” he whispered. “I’ve loved you for- forever, it feels like, and I think that you love me, too. I couldn’t stand it anymore so I, I guess I decided that I was going to give myself as a present this year, and hopefully it would work out well.”

Sam was floored, and also very happy. He was going to be suspicious that this was a joke, but then he abandoned it -- Danny would never. He was completely incapable of doing something so cruel and dishonest as to pretend, and Sam honestly felt really bad about getting mad at him earlier. 

He smiled, big, and hung his arms around Danny’s neck. 

“Thank you. This is, like, the best present ever. You know I’ve been thinking about this for years?”

Danny’s eyes crinkled and he kissed Sam again, sweet little pecks all over his lips and chin. 

“I kind of thought so. I’m really happy this worked- Oh! I do actually have another present for you.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. Uh, here,” Danny mumbled as he thrust a hand into his pocket and fumbled around.

His hand came back and suddenly there was glitter everywhere. Sam was getting flashbacks to a few days ago in the Wagner’s dining room and he giggled. 

“I got you a bracelet, and I added some, uh, pizzazz, to the gift presentation. I hope you don’t mind. My thinking was that, even if you didn’t like my other gift, I could still get you something kind of cool. If you did, though….” He trailed off, gently clasping the jewelry around Sam’s thin wrist. “I want to use it to ask you to be mine.”

Sam was probably going to cry again. He nodded and kissed Danny desperately to fight off the tears, then pulled back to inspect his new bracelet. It was made of small, carved, silver disks that glittered with inlaid gems. Blue and white diamonds, Sam realized; white and blue, the color of their birthstones, and diamond was also the material of Sam’s. Each gem was ringed with a small strip of gold to fold it in place, and the entire bracelet was surprisingly thin and discreet -- not some gaudy, overly-flashy piece of costume jewelry. It wasn’t too small to appreciate the details, though, and the metal already felt warm and lightweight on his wrist; it was absolutely perfect.

“It’s beautiful, thank you. And I love you, too.”

“Good! I’m glad that you like it and that this wasn’t a horrible idea.”

Sam shook his head vehemently. He stood up with help from his new boyfriend (holy shit) and they walked hand in hand back towards the party.

Josh and their mom were getting down on the dance floor to Tom Petty and Sam laughed. The sound drew the attention of Jake; at first he looked apprehensive, but when he saw their linked hands, he grinned widely.

Jake walked over to them, snagging three beers on the way. He opened them and handed one to each, eyeing Sam’s new jewelry with a knowing eye. 

“Happy birthday, man.”

“Yeah, happy birthday, baby,” Danny agreed, pulling Sam into him and kissing his temple. 

Sam beamed. Happy fucking brithday to him!


End file.
